(May 17, 2012) DEARBORN, Mich. — Aimed squarely at the Toyota Prius v wagon, Ford dealers are starting to take orders for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid.
 
The C-MAX is a compact hybrid utility vehicle and the company’s first dedicated line of hybrids. The 2013 C-MAX Hybrid will be available this fall with a base price of $25,995 — approximately $500 lower than the Toyota Prius v’s base price.
 
The C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid will follow later this year with better electric-mode fuel economy and overall driving range than the Prius plug-in hybrid.


 
“C-MAX Hybrid offers better fuel economy, performance, technology and functionality than Prius v — and C-MAX Hybrid customers will pay less at the dealership and at the pump,” said Ken Czubay, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Ford is delivering the power of choice for leading fuel economy across its lineup — from EcoBoost to electrified vehicles — because customers increasingly want to save money at the pump, even as gas prices rise over time.”

At the moment, Ford hasn’t released official EPA-approved gas mileage figures for the C-MAX, but  to beat the Prius v, it will have to better its 42 mpg combined EPA rating.

Ford also claims the C-MAX Hybrid has projected best-in-class horsepower and torque along with Ford’s third-generation powersplit technology that allows for higher speed while in electric mode than Toyota Prius v.
 
C-MAX Hybrid benefits from 20 years of research and innovation behind the software and hardware technology driving it, with many of Ford’s almost 500 hybrid vehicle-related patents contained within.
 
That means that along with SYNC with MyFord Touch, drivers get class-exclusive features like hands-free liftgate (offering hands-free cargo access with a simple kicking motion), SmartGauge with EcoGuide, regenerative braking and an advanced lithium-ion (li-ion) battery pack that is being used for the first time in a Ford hybrid.
 
C-MAX Hybrid — being built on Ford’s global C-segment platform — also benefits from a proven design and nameplate with more than 156,000 units of the gasoline version sold in Europe since its 2010 launch.
 
The vehicle has a high roofline (63.9 inches) offering ample interior space and flexibility. C-MAX Hybrid offers 99.7 cubic feet of passenger space compared with 97 cubic feet in Prius v. The C-MAX Hybrid also provides greater headroom in both front and rear seats than Prius v (41/39.4 inches vs. 39.6/38.6 inches).
 
For cargo, C-MAX Hybrid has 60/40 split-fold rear seats that easily fold flat with 54.3 cubic feet of space behind the first row and 24.5 cubic feet behind the second row.
 
C-MAX Hybrid features the company’s innovative hands-free liftgate, allowing for quick and easy access to the cargo area without messing with keys. A gentle kicking motion under the rear bumper opens the liftgate when used in combination with a key fob the user keeps in his or her pocket or purse that tells the car it’s OK to engage. The same motion can close the liftgate.